A question for those who have composed a work of fiction of more than 75,000 words?

Question

Obviously that is a novel. Can you please explain your own process from idea conception to revision of the manuscript?

---Garrett

Answer 1

I just hit 75K on my newest book. My previous ones were about 130K when I was done.

I am an author who wings it. I do not work from an outline, however I do extensive character studies and research before I begin writing. I keep notebooks for each book I am working on. I write my notes by hand because I believe the correlation between the hand holding pen and the brain is stronger than that of fingers on keys.

I must say I am not one who follows my own advice. I would tell you to write the first draft without looking back - straight through. If you are one with focus issues, work from an outline. However, personally, I do tend to go back and forth at times because I get to know my characters so intimately, they actually start talking to me and I sometimes go back and rework a scene. I can write a chapter in 3 or 4 hours (2500-3500 words) or I can spend days lingering over a chapter I feel will be key in the book. I love the luxury of being able to work as I want. Being a full time novelist, I have that luxury. My personal work schedule is 1-5 am. That is when I am at my best.

Revision comes later. I usually just do one revision. I have an editor who works with me at times. Sometimes I work alone.

As for idea conception. I start with something that runs through my head. It builds up steam until it starts forming into a plot. This particular book started literally as a dream. Ideas can come from anywhere. I tell students to get themselves a black and white marble notebook and brainstorm until it's full. Anything goes in it - sketches, notes, ideas, lines of poetry, quotes, whatever. When it is full, go through and cross out the crap. Then write some short stories or fragments out of what's left. When something seems to lends itsef to a longer piece, you have the subject of a novel and you can start working on a plot - which is the spine of your story.

Hope that helps. This is my 5th time down this road. It only gets better and better.
----
They're, Their, There - Three Different Words.

Careful or you may wind up in my next novel.

Pax - C

Answer 2

All my books start out as an idea an then I will write it on paper. I usually start by writing in a one inch 3 ring binder, that way I can take papers out and add more in if I need to. The best kind of binders are the floppy ones that bend so that I can stick them down into anything if I'm travling.

No matter where I'm going I take a binder with me because diffrent places give me diffrent ideas. Even ideas for a whole diffrent book. Usually I end up working on more than one book at a time. It will usully take me a day or even sometimes a week to finish a chapter. But when it comes to revisions this takes me maybe a week or so because I even revise what I revise if it just dosen't make sense to me.

Soon after I get things revised and the book is then complete, I transefer it to the computer. I can work better when I write by hand. I can think more clearly this way. Oh and another thing, I never outline. I have tried it before but outlines tend to make me feel that I have to stick to a sertain pattern. It tends to limit what I can and can not write. So I just fly like a bird when I write and dont set a limit to anything. I believe that when you are writing a novel anything goes. I never set a length of how long a chapter should be. Each chapter has something to tell and when I get said what I have to say or what should be said in each chapter that's when I end it, rather it's just three pages or rather it's 10 pages.

Answer 3

The trick is to never edit. Just write and write and write until your hand drops off. Never cross anything out, delete anything, or revise anything in any way, shape or form. Just get your story down on the paper. There is no such thing as a bad idea. When you are done, it will look like pages and pages of gibberish, all of which you can later edit. If you start by carefully formulating sentences and editing correctly, you will have two perfect pages after over a week of work.

Answer 4

Focus on telling a story and move it forward. There's SO much to explain. If there's only one book that can show you how it's done, I recommend "Story" by Robert McKee. Otherwise, there are websites that you can explore where the craft of storytelling is taught.

A story, whether it's a novel, short story, or screenplay, is started with some of the following:

1) Premise
This is when you ask, "What would happen if?" Anything can get you started with it. The author of "Lord of the Rings" started his when he wrote about a hole in the ground on a piece of paper. He had no clue what it meant, he simply wrote it. Then he started asking "what would happen if..." something lived in it? Then it grew into "The Hobbit" and "Lord of the Rings". Brainstorm, read the news, and start asking what if questions to develop the premise of your story.

2) Setting
You can set your story anywhere, on Mars, in the past on Earth, in the future on a starship, anywhere. Even thinking about the setting can help you to develop the premise.

3) Multiple Characters
Almost all stories contain multiple characters to play off of the values of the others. Start thinking about characters and what they want and this will also help you to develop your story. Ask lots of "what would happen if?"

4) Inciting Incident
This is where you story begins that turns your story's world upside-down and forces your character to set it straight. Then your character will begin a quest to reach an object of desire. Thinking about an inciting incident can also be your premise: "What would happen if a shark ate someone and the partially-eaten body ends up on the beach?" Jaws.

These points should help you to get started.

Answer 5

My idea of a novel doesn't involve 75,000 words (on average). I deal with books that take YEARS to complete, years of revisions, and on average--run about 250K to 300,000 words.

That's my idea of a good book. :0)

No rush, no outlines, no pressure, nothing to hamper my creative juices...